Built around the bassline heard in the intro, this song has some very effective and unusual structural components that helped it endure. The bass riff is punctuated with a hand clap and the breathy "ahhhh" vocal. These elements add sonic texture during the verses, and also show up in the two interludes.

And while most hit songs pound you with the chorus, this one doesn't. The full chorus - "It's the time of the season for loving..." - takes just 8 seconds and is repeated three times. That's just 24 seconds of chorus, but this minimalist approach gave the line tremendous impact, resonating with listeners at a time of social and political turmoil in America.

The band broke up in late 1967, shortly after recording the album. When the album was released in April, 1968, it sold poorly, stalling on the US charts at #95 and making no impact in their native UK. The "Time Of The Season" single, however, became a huge hit in America even though the group had disbanded and couldn't support it. It sold over a million copies, peaking at #3 on March 29, 1969.

With their newfound American success, band members Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy got the band back together, minus lead singer Colin Blunstone. This reunion was short-lived, and by the end of 1969 The Zombies were once again dead. Blunstone went on to have a successful solo career ,including a #15 UK hit in 1972 "Say You Don't Mind," and was the guest vocalist on Dave Stewart's (not the Eurythmics Dave Stewart) 1981 UK #13 cover of "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted." Rod Argent formed the band Argent, which had a hit with "Hold Your Head Up" in 1972.

The Zombies keyboard player Rod Argent wrote this song. He said in The Guardian February 22, 2008: "'Time of the Season' was the last thing to be written (for the album). I remember thinking it sounded very commercial. One of my favorite records was George Gershwin's 'Summertime;' we used to do a version of it when we started out. The words in the verse - 'What's your name? Who's your daddy? Is he rich like me?' - were an affectionate nod in that direction."

Argent added: "The album title's slightly high-flown, isn't it? As is the quote from The Tempest on the back. It was a very flowery time in all sorts of ways. Me and Chris (Chris White bassist and co-songwriter) shared a flat with a guy called Terry Quirk who was a very talented artist and he came up with this beautiful, florid cover that we adored. We didn't notice that the word odyssey was spelt wrongly, to our eternal embarrassment. For years I used to say, 'Oh that was intentional. It was a play on the word ode.' But I'm afraid it wasn't."

The theme of "Seasons" was a concept on the album Odessey And Oracle. Albums were very popular in 1967, so artists could put songs together that meant something when played in a certain order.

Rod Argent's organ sections take up about 90 seconds of this song's 3:22 running time. Most songs of the era that devoted so much of their time to organ riffs were much longer compositions like "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum.

In Word magazine January 2008, the vocalist Colin Bluntstone was asked whether the word 'Odessey' in the album title was deliberately spelled wrong. Bluntstone replied: "Rod (Argent) told this story for nearly 40 years of how it was deliberate and a play on the word 'ode,' hence 'odessey' when it should be spelled 'odyssey.' So I was astounded as anyone when he finally admitted about a year ago that it had been a simple spelling mistake. Too late to change by the time anyone noticed it. A bit embarrassing, but it's history now."

The recording of this song bought about a minor spat between keyboardist Rod Argent, who wrote the song, and the vocalist Colin Bluntstone. The argument was over the phrase, "When love runs high." Bluntstone struggled with the high note at the end of the line, and snapped at Argent, "If you're so good you come and sing it." Argent admitted in Mojo magazine February 2008: "It was written really quickly and we didn't rehearse it an awful lot. I was trying to change the phrasing."

According to Argent, he was told by Paul Weller that Odessey and Oracle is his favorite album of all time. Bassist Chris White added in the February 2008 Mojo interview: "The Foo Fighters said in a recent Rolling Stone they listen to it most mornings. Tom Petty's keyboard said to me, 'You guys don't realize how important that record's been. As far as we're concerned there's Sgt. Pepper and Odessey and Oracle."

In the UK, this was used in a a commercial for Magners cider. In the US, Fidelity Investments used it.

"Time of the Season" was the first song picked by Al Kooper (just after leaving Blood Sweat & Tears) in his new position as staff producer in the A&R department at Columbia Records. As told in Kooper's Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, producer Clive Davis was about to sign off Columbia's options to release Odessey And Oracle. Kooper persuaded him to keep the option, and the Zombies' later success was the first feather in his cap.Speaking of Columbia Records, their Manhattan offices (located at the CBS Building on Sixth Avenue between West 52nd and 53rd Streets) are known as the "Black Rock" after the appearance of the building. File that next to "Brill Building" in influential buildings in rock 'n' roll history.

This was used in the movie Awakenings with Robert DeNiro in a scene when they are driving in the car.

Comments: 18

A sweet keyboard solo in a track just dripping with sexuality. Appalachian Trail... let's get on this, yes?Jace - Whitehall, Pa

I guess if you're from Arkansas, "Who's your daddy" is a nice sexy question to ask when you pumpkin!

The last nickname I want from a lover is, "Daddy"!Cyberpope - Richmond, Canada

I LOVEEE the beat to this song and the line "What's your name, who's your daddy?"Krista - Carbondale, Pa

loved the movie...AWAKENINGS.....AND THIS SONG TOOMalena - Monterrey, Mexico

This song was used in the begining of the new Prom Night.Sarah - East Stroudsburg, Pa

Come to imagine how they used the "breath sound" .. creatively.John - Manila, Other

Way cool song. Just love the panting/sighing at the end of the intial lead-in riff. Very evocative of the time in which it was written. "What's your name? Who's your daddy? Is he rich like me?" What babe could resist an approach sung like that? ;-7Guy - Wellington, New Zealand

I second john from anaheim. In a way this song almost doesnt fit in the album that end. in addition to listening to "A Rose for Emily" and "Brief Candles" try "I Want Her She Wants Me" and "Care of Cell 44". Great vocals, keyboards, emotion. AwesomeJohn - Woburn, Ma

Fantastic song. Too bad it overshadows the album (Odyssey and Oracle). If anyone is looking to try something new, please have a listen to the entire album. Every song is beautiful in its own way. Two of my favorites are "A Rose for Emily" and "Brief Candles".John - Anaheim, Ca

whats ure name whose ure daddy is he rich like me i wonder if this line really worksElie - London

They use this song on a fairly new sprite commercial. Some guy is watering some flowers with sprite and the flwowers start singing it.John - Millersville, Md

I pick Time Of The Season, God Only Knows, and Strawberry Fields as tied for 1st place as the most intriguing rock songs to date. Comfortably Numb is close.John - Douglassville, Pa

Because it was released in England in 1967, but it was released in 1969 in the U.S.Bob - Los Angeles, Ms

It was recorded in 1967 - released in 1968 - hit the charts in 1969.Don - Detroit, Mi

Keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White went on to form Argent in 1969. In 1974, Argent covered this song on their "Encore" live album.Steve - Torrance, Ca

Colin Blunstone was an on-off "member" of The Alan Parsons Project after the demise of the Zombies, as well as a successful solo artistDave - Cardiff, Wales

Big Blue Missile featuring Scott Weiland did a remake of this song, which was featured on the Ausin Powers soundtrack. It was pretty good.Dan - Dublin, Oh

Just a quick question. If the album that this song is on was realeased in 1967, how come the song wasn't realeased until 1969.Stefanie Magura - Rock Hill, Sc